Overview

Yang Laboratory

Skeletal Biology

The skeletal system develops from mesenchymal cells and is the major reservoir of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in adult life. MSCs play pivotal roles in skeletal tissue growth, homeostasis and repair, while dysregulations in MSC renewal, linage specification, and pool maintenance are common causes of skeletal disorders. Our long-term interest is to investigate the signals and cellular processes orchestrating the activities of MSCs and MSC-derived cells during skeletal development and homeostasis, and how they are involved in skeletal aging and disorders.

Projects:

Sumoylation pathway in skeletal development and diseases

LRP1 signaling in skeletal development and diseases

As part of these projects, we have established in vivo and in vitro genetic models to study the molecular mechanisms underlying osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.